102 Tasting Notes

92

Just finished off the last of this. Still love it. I’m going to buy more when it comes around again in March.

TeaEqualsBliss

Welcome back! You’ve been missed! Did you receive that package OK that I sent a while back?

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

100

I’ve decided this is my favorite Japanese green, and I’m upping the rating to 100 because I think it’s perfect. I like it even better than the Shinchas I ordered from Den’s this spring (as good as those are). It has such an incredible sweet, yet savory, buttery, brothy, thick flavor. I’m sure I need to sample more green teas from other companies, but it would be hard to imagine how they could top this.

Preparation
160 °F / 71 °C 1 min, 30 sec
Shinobi_cha

This is probably my favorite fukamushi sencha, or at least one of two.

You will probably like any sencha from Yame; so far I have, as the processing style seems to be really similar. If you want to try another Yamecha but want to explore another company, Thes du Japon has an excellent one.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

91

The postal carrier delivered this to my doorstep this morning, and I wasted no time in preparing a cup in my new kyusu. I’ll write more later, but my first impressions are:
-This is a very GREEN, green tea. The liquor, the scent, the taste, everything.
-Thick, rich, savory, vegetable broth-like flavor
-Lots of umami.
-Sweet/tingly sort of aftertaste that lingers
-No bitterness, but a strong vegetal flavor.
-In comparison with the Hashiri shincha, this one is stronger and has more umami. Hashiri was flavorful but had a more delicate, hard-to-pin down sort of flavor. I like them both, and I think anyone who likes sencha and gyokuro would like both of these teas.

I will write more after the second steep….

Preparation
160 °F / 71 °C 1 min, 30 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

94

I just love this tea. Such a creamy, delicious flavor. I want to buy a pound of it and drink it every day.

QueenOfTarts

How does this compare to other creamy oolongs you’ve had? I’ve been wanting to try this, but it’s awfully expensive! Is this your most favorite?

Dinosara

If you ever do buy a pound of it, I am totally begging a sample off you. I want to try this but Todd & Holland doesn’t seem to sell samples of it.

Shinobi_cha

Yeah, I just had a sample of this…but I agree…it was amazing.

Infusin_Susan

QoT, it’s very similar to ATR’s Milk Oolong. It’s creamier/less floral than thepuritea’s, yet very flavorful. I like it just as much as I like ATR’s, which is saying a lot! Dinosara, if I make a big purchase I will save some for you. Todd & Holland is in the Chicago metro area; I really need to visit the shop.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

89

I wasn’t sure if I’d like this tea because sometimes teas that have a lot of flavors, especially caramel, come across as too sweet, or you can’t taste the tea for the flavors. Wow, am I glad I decided to give it a try. This is the best vanilla tea I’ve ever had. It is intensely flavorful but you can still taste the black tea. The flavors all blend together beautifully. The caramel gives the vanilla extra depth. I didn’t detect as many of the cream notes, but perhaps if I try it iced I will. Thank you, Rachel, for creating this delicious blend that caters to my sweet tooth without adding any extra pounds! I will be back to buy more.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 30 sec
RachanaC (Rachel)-iHeartTeas

Yay! Thank you so much for the kind words I really appreciate you taking a chance on this blend. You explained it perfectly and I feel exactly as you do about this tea. :)

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

92

This review is for the newly-released 2012 Hashiri Shincha, which I just received from Den’s. I’m so glad I pre-ordered this. For some reason it really tickles me that the leaves I am brewing in Chicago today were still on the tree in Japan so recently.

Upon opening the bag, there is the unmistakable, intoxicating scent of fresh, grassy, sweet sencha. I followed the brewing instructions (160 F for 90 seconds) and was rewarded with a yellowish-greenish liquor. My first impressions upon sipping it were of buttered green vegetables, but the “buttery” sensation soon dissipates and shifts to a sweet vegetal sort of flavor. Grassy, but not bitter. Brothy. Savory and sweet at the same time — how does it manage that? The flavors are really strong and keep shifting from vegetal and grassy to sweet and almost herbal, and the flavors are long lasting; I can still taste this tea (in a good way) several minutes after drinking it. It’s delicious; like springtime in a cup.

The first time I brewed this I let it sit for just one minute too long and it came out a tad astringent, so I would say this is a tea that is, indeed, fussy about brew times. But if you follow the directions on the package, you’ll be rewarded with a remarkably sweet and flavorful cup.

Preparation
160 °F / 71 °C 1 min, 30 sec
TeaBrat

I got this too and still need to try it!

Doug F

Sounds wonderful and I love Senchas. Upton seems not to think the situation in Japan after the Tsunami is stable because many of their Japanese teas are unavailable. I guess Den’s thinks otherwise.

ScottTeaMan

I need to start a Sencha phase…….Note to self: BUY SENCHA!!

I think there are better places to buy Sencha anyway…….not to say they don’t have some good Senchas.

Shinobi_cha

This is one of my favorite teas, by far.

One experiment: try it with boiling water! Just brew really short — 15-20 seconds. As long as you’re careful, it should be very similar to 160 for 1.5 minutes…. the bitterness may be a tad stronger, but the aftertaste will more delicious and lingering still. I say this going off of my memory of this tea from last year, (mine hasn’t yet arrived yet).

RE Triumph: The radiation concerns in Shizuoka (because radiation never affected all the growing regions in Japan) are less this year, but one still has to be careful. Nevertheless, Den’s website talks about the availability of certificates done by independent labs showing that their teas are safe for consumption. Not only this, but Japan has increased the rigidity of regulations, to the point that, in order for any company there to sell agricultural products (at least for export), the presence of radiation has to be virtually zero.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

94

This is one of my favorites when I want a strong, flavorful black tea to help wake me up. I get notes of raisin, chocolate, cola caramel, and sort of a baked-goods kind of feel from this tea. I find that adding a pinch of Truvia helps bring out the flavors. This is a full-bodied, well-rounded tea.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 30 sec

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

90

Yes, I drank this yet again. A whole pot of it. And I’ll probably have some tomorrow, too. See previous notes.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

97

This tea is just so good. It never disappoints. Upping my rating.

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

100

This is the best sencha I have ever had. Delicious! Rich and almost savory, as others have mentioned. Vegetal, buttery, grassy, thick. No bitterness or even a hint of astringency. It doesn’t taste like vegetable soup, but it gives a similar effect.

I realize this tasting note is short…I will update soon, when I have time to drink it, savor it and record all of my impressions. But seriously, if you are thinking of buying this, you will not be disappointed. I think even those who aren’t big fans of Japanese greens would like this. It’s that good!

Preparation
160 °F / 71 °C 1 min, 30 sec
Shinobi_cha

I agree, this is definitely one of my favorite senchas, as well.
If you haven’t ordered Den’s special Shincha teas that will be coming out within 1 month, I definitely recommend them – they carry Shincha Kunpu (light-steamed), and Shincha Houryoku (deep-steamed)… if possible, I think in the past the Houryoku was even better than this tea. :-)

Login or sign up to leave a comment.

Profile

Bio

I like strong, robust flavors. My current favorites include strong black teas (Keemuns, Yunnan teas and Assams, for example), flavored blacks such as Harney’s Paris, oolongs of any kind, and gyokuros. I like Rooibos and honeybush teas as well, and other herbal blends to help me relax in the evening.

I am willing to try just about anything, but I am not particularly fond of jasmine tea, very fruity or heavily flavored blends, anything with pineapple; and I know this is practically heresy, but I don’t like Darjeelings.

Location

In my kitchen, heating water

Following These People

Moderator Tools

Mark as Spammer